Baby chair



June 10, 1952 E. H. CLAIRMONTE ETAL BABY CHAIR Filed June 11. 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET l J1me 1952 E. H. CLAIRMONTE ETAL 2,599,610

BABY CHAIR 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed. June 11, 1946 &

R O T N e v N I Patented June 10, 1952 OFFICES BABY CHAIR Edward Hugh Clairmonte and Clive Molyneuzi f Clairmonte,Londcn England Application June 11, 1946, Serial No. 675,891 In Great Britain July -24; 19 45 This invention consists in improvements in or relating to baby chairsof the type which may b'e used in anerect position as a high chair, or in a folded position as a low chair;

Theinvention has forits object to provide a babys chair ofthe type described of simple con- 'struction which may readily be converted from the erect position to the folded position and vice versa.

Accordingly, the invention provides a baby chair of the, type described wherein the seat is carried by a pair of supports, each support comprising a leg portion and a base portion, the leg portion being hinged intermediateits length to permit the base :and lower part of the leg portion to be swung towards the seat from the erect position to the folded position, means to limit thexswinging motion such that the lower leg constitutes a base for the chair in said foldedposition, and locking means to lock the parts of the legs in the erect position. i

Conveniently, said means to limit the swinging motion is constituted by a cross-bar connecting the base portions of the supports which bears against the seat in the folded position of the chair.

'In one construction, according to the invention, each support is a tubular metal member shaped to provide a leg portion and base portion, the leg 1 portion comprising intermediate its length a hinge which is such that, when the chair is in the erect position the parts of the leg portion are resiliently locked in alignment. A convenient form of hinge comprises a pivot pinsecured to one part of the leg portion engaged in a slot in the other partof the leg portion, interengaging locking surfaces formed on said leg portions, and spring or the like means urging the locking surfaces into engagement.

Conveniently, the seat is of the bucket type and is constituted by one or more pressings, for example, sheet metal pres in s, secured togeth r and there is provided a channel between the base of the seat and the back thereof whereby liquids spilt on the seat'drain into the channel and may bereadily wiped up.

Other features of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description which has reference'to the accompanying drawings, of one construction of baby chair embodying the invention,

Referring to the drawings,

Figure l is a perspective view of the baby chair in the erect position,

Figure 2is a side elevation of a baby chair in the folded position,

5 Claims, (Cl. 155 38) hingedly connected to Figure 3 is a sectional elevation scale of the seat of thechair,

Figure 4 is a detail view of a suitable form of hinge for connecting the upper and lower leg parts,and

Figure 5 shows a modified the seat upholstery. Thebabys chair comprises a seat I of the bucket type carried by a pair of supports, each of which is formed with a leg portioii and a base portion, the leg' portion having an upper part 2a to whichthe seat is secured anda lower part 26 the upper part 2a; The lower part 2b of the leg and the base portion"! are formed in one piece being connected by a radiused portion 4 and being inclined to one an-- other at an angle of about '75.", so that the seat I islocated above the base portion 3," in the erect position; In the erect position of thechair, the upper'and lower parts 2a, 2b of the legware-held inalignment (see Figure 1') while in the folded position (see Figure 2) the lower parts 221 provide abase for the chair, while in the folded position of the chair, the base portions 3 extend on either side or theseat I, there beings, cross-bar 5connectingthe base portions 3 and located in such a position that it limits theextent to which the parts 2?), 3 may swing towards the seat l'by bearing against the underside of the seat I whereby in the folded'position the parts 2b provide a basefor the chair.

The base portions 3 may be curved slightly upwards towards their centres so that "onlythe frcntand' rear extremities thereof. of the base portions 3 ma'kecontact with the floor thereby giving stability to the chair on an uneven floor; A tray '6 is pivoted to a bracket 1 carried byone of the supports and isprovided with a spring on an enlarged method of securing catch 8 engaging in a bracket 9 in theother"support. A foot rest I0 formed conveniently as a metal pressing is attached *to theupper legs in at a suitable distance below the seat land may be provided with an inset of cork 'or other suitable material.

The hinged connection between the upper parts 2a and lower parts 222 may be of i any suitable form, such that when the chair is in the erect position the parts 2a, 2b are locked in 'ali gmn'ent and suchthat whenthe parts are unlockedfthe lower part 2b and base portion 3 mayswingup wardly towards the seat I to the folded position."

One convenient form ofsuch a hinged connep tion is illustrated in Figure 4. Fittedfwithin the ends of the parts 2a,2b ofth'e leg'por'tions' are complementary tubular hinge members II which have lugs I2 formed thereon extending axially of the parts 2a, 2b, and terminating in locking lands I3 which are adapted to engage in looking recesses I4 when the chair is in the erect position. A pivot pin I5 is fixed to the extension I2 of one hinge member I I and work in a slot I6 formed in the other hinge member. A compression spring I! housed within the lower part 2?) of the leg is connected to the pivot pin I5 by length of strong wire I8 which is bent into U-form to engage over the pivot pin I5, passes through the hinge member II and has its ends I9 hooked to engage under the spring. Thus when the chair is in the erect position, the locking lands I3 are engaged with the locking recesses I4 and are held resiliently in engagement by the action of spring I1. To move the parts 2b of the leg portion and base portion 3 to the folded position, the locking lands I3 are disengaged from the locking recesses I4 against the spring I! for example, by

placing a foot on the base portion 3 and lifting the seat I and then causing the lower part 2b and base 3 to swing about its pivot pin I5. This motion is facilitated by the radius portion 4.

To convert the chair from the folded position to the erect position, the seat I is gripped and raised whereby the parts 222 and base portion 3 will swing under their own weight towards the erect position and when this position is reached the locking lands I3 will snap into engagement with the locking recesses I4. It will thus be seen that the chair may be readily converted from a high chair to a low chair and vice versa.

Theseat I is conveniently of the bucket type and is formed of one or more pressings, for example sheet metal pressings secured together. A detail section through one suitable form of seat is shown in Figure 3. In this form, the seat comprises two sheet metal pressings one of which constitutes the seat bottom and the other 2I constitutes the seat back and sides, the two pressings 20, 2| being secured together by rivets 22. The bottom has a cushion 23 of any suitable form secured thereon. Between the seat bottom 20 and the back and sides 21, there is provided a channel 24 into which liquids spilt on to the seat drain and are readily wiped up and which facilitates cleaning of the seat. The upholstery of the back and sides is secured in position in any desired manner, but conveniently the fabric covering 25 is gripped along its lower edge between the flange .26 on the bottom 20 and the back pressing 2|, the rivets passing through the fabric covering 25, and is gripped along its upper edge between the seat back 2| and a strip of metal 21 which is held in place by rivets 28.

Where the bucket seat is made from a single pressing, the fabric covering 25 may be held in a similar manner along its upper edge, while the lower edge is, for example, formed with a loop 29 through which a curved blade spring or strip of stiff material 30 is passed, the strip being sprung into the bucket seat to which it may also be secured by rivets or the like means so as to hold the lower edge of the upholstery material securely in position.

The bucket seat may be made from any suitable material such as metal pressings or mouldings, or mouldings of such material as plastics.

The parts of the chair may be formed of metal or parts may be formed of metal and parts of non-metallic material. Suitable metals are steel, aluminium or other aluminum alloys and suitable non-metallic materials are wood and plastics.

The supports are preferably of steel tubing thereby avoiding sharp corners on which the child could hurt itself.

It will be seen that the invention provides a baby chair of simple form, which is easy to clean and may be readily converted from a high chair to a low chair or vice versa.

We claim:

1. A two-position baby chair comprising a pair of legs each including an upper part, a lower part, and a base portion, said upper and lower parts being in axial alignment when said chair is in high-seat position, a seat rigidly secured to the upper ends of said upper leg parts, said legs constituting the sole support for said seat in highseat position, members carried on the adjacent ends of the respective upper and lower parts of each leg and engageable, by relative sliding movement, to maintain said leg parts rigidly in alignment, means pivotally connecting the members on each leg and slidable relative to one member on each leg to permit disengagement of the interlock therebetween and swinging movement into low-seat position of the lower leg portions relative to the upper leg portions, and means to limit such swinging movement at a position in which said lower leg parts are substantially parallel to the bottom of said seat.

2. A baby chair as claimed in claim 1, including resilient means urging said members into interlocking engagement.

3. A baby chair as claimed in claim 1, saidlimitingmeans comprising a cross-member connecting said base portions and engaging the bottom of said seat when the device is in low-seat position.

4. A baby chair as claimed in claim 1, the leg parts and base portions being formed from tubular metal, the means pivotally connecting the members on each leg comprising a pivot pin carried by the member carried on the end of said upper part of the respective leg and engaging an axially-directed slot in the member carried on the end of the lower part of the leg, and a spring accommodated within said lower part of the leg and connected to said pivotal means to urge said parts of the leg axially together.

5. A baby chair as claimed in claim 1, the legs and base portions being formed from tubular metal, said pivotal means being secured to a part fitted in and extending axially beyond the end of said upper leg part, and including a spring accommodated within said lower part of the leg and connected to said pivotal means to urge said parts of the leg axially together.

EDWARD HUGH CLAIRMON'IE. CLIVE MOLYNEUX CLAIRMONTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 571,038 Chichester Nov. 10, 1896 1,772,096 Diamond Aug. 5, 1930 1,934,195 Kiesecker Nov. 7, 1933 2,332,619 Walker Oct. 26, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 43,172 Holland Dec. 15, 1937 531,637 Germany Aug. 17, 1931 

